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Category: Land use

  • What does the proposed Nishi project have to do with traffic downtown?

    Nishi-OldDavisRdYesterday, Dan Cornford wrote about how the Nishi project would contribute to traffic and the deterioration of air quality downtown.  People who don't travel these roads frequently might have trouble seeing why that would be the case.  Well, as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. 

    If the Nishi project goes through, an underpass would be built under the railroad from the Nishi property to Old Davis Road.  As the graphic shows, there is already significant traffic from Old Davis Rd to First Street and downtown, and onto Richards Blvd.  Cars from the Nishi development – with its 700 parking spaces – would contribute to that traffic as residents drive to and through downtown.

    This is just one of a number of concerns about Nishi.  As I said in an earlier post, the unhealthy air quality experienced by residents because of its location is my primary concern.  But the concerns about traffic and air quality downtown are serious ones and should not be overlooked. 

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  • What Residents of Nishi Won’t Know (Yet It Will Still Hurt Them)

    Screen Shot 2018-04-07 at 9.07.20 PMIf you read the ballot Argument in Favor of Measure J 2018 (that is, the argument in favor of Nishi 2.0, not the Measure J from 2000 that gave Davis citizens the right to vote on projects like Nishi), you will see that it is mostly focused on the issue of student housing. The Rebuttal to the Argument Against Measure J is likewise almost entirely focused on student housing.

    Of course, you should also read the Argument Against Measure J (full disclosure: I am a signer) and the Rebuttal to the Argument in Favor of Measure J. In other words, if you read the arguments in favor of Nishi 2.0, you should also read the arguments against Nishi 2.0.

    But my point here is a different one. When I read the ballot arguments in favor of Nishi 2.0, I am taken back to the day that the City Council voted to put Nishi 2.0 on the ballot. I am reminded of the passion of the students who spoke that evening. That passion caused me to change my planned comments and to instead speak from the heart, not about the students who were there that night, who were well-informed about the project, but the students who were not there. Here are my comments in full. They are not as well-organized or as well-articulated as I would like, but they are sincere. And they still reflect the core of my objections to Nishi 2.0.

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  • A few more specific questions to ask City Council candidates

    Screen Shot 2018-04-05 at 5.40.46 PMBy Dan Cornford

    I totally agree with Roberta’s criticism about the candidates for city council refusing to be more specific and with specific reference as to how they stand on Measure J/R and if they want to amend it, how precisely would they amend it.

    However, I would like to broaden this discussion to make observations about the ways in which almost all candidates for city council have campaigned since I moved here in 2000. A trend that was apparent when I arrived here has become more and more pronounced.

    To put it bluntly and simply, almost all candidates are reluctant to, or more accurately often refuse, to discuss specifics especially when it comes to some of the most important and controversial issues. Their reasons for doing this are obvious. They think by appealing to as broad a constituency as possible, and not alienating any one constituency, they are maximizing their appeal and their chances of election. I could cite endless examples from the campaigns of several of our incumbent council members.

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  • Amend Measure R? Will Candidates come clean on how they want it amended?

    Screen Shot 2018-04-04 at 3.03.03 PM
    At the recent CivEnergy City Council forum, audience members filled out cards asking other questions of the candidates — questions that there was simply not enough time to ask during the forum itself (with 9 candidates, it’s hard to ask a lot of questions!).  It’s a little grainy and part is cut off, but at the beginning of this post you can see a screen shot of my question:

    For those candidates who say that they think Measure J/R should be amended, specifically how do you think it should be amended?  Please give a detailed answer.

    So far, none of the candidates have answered my question (or, many of the other audience members’ questions).  Dan Carson, Linda Deos, Eric Gudz, and Gloria Partida (perhaps others) have said that they are thinking about proposing amendments to Measure R, should they be elected.  I’d like to invite them – and members of the Davis community – to have a discussion about what amendments they would like to see, if any, to Measure R.  Again, specificity is good!  Information on Measure R is here: https://localwiki.org/davis/June_2010_Election/Measure_R

  • Seven FAQs about Nishi Air Quality

    Nishi-pic1. What is the Nishi project?

    Measure J/R gives Davis citizens the right to vote on whether residences (aimed at students, but not exclusively for students) should be built on the Nishi property.  Two years ago, Davis citizens voted down a project at Nishi.  That project had a commercial component and a residential component.  The new project proposal, often called Nishi 2.0, just has a residential component, plus allowances for daycare, nursery, outdoor exercise areas, etc.

    2. Nishi is near a freeway. So what? A number of places in Davis are near freeways.  Do they have bad air quality too?

    Studies show that all sites near freeways suffer from poor air quality.  Quoting a recent LA Times article:

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  • City Council Candidates Changing Positions on Measure R

    CivEnergyForumThe Davis College Democrats (DCD) have excoriated Linda Deos for her apparent change of position on Measure R* from "I am definitely for repealing" to "I support Measure R." Now, with the publication of the candidates' responses to CivEnergy's question about Measure R, we can see where the other four candidates besides Deos who were at the DCD forum now stand on Measure R.

    Mary Jo Bryan to the DCD: "Repealing of course. I have never voted for it."

    Mary Jo Bryan to CivEnergy: "I am neutral at this point."

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  • A New Strategic Plan for the Open Space Program: City Process Done Right

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    Source: Davis Wiki

    At the City Council meeting on Tuesday, March 20, a very important but easily missed item was presented and approved by the Council: The 2030 Strategic Plan for the City of Davis Open Space Program. I highlight it here not only because I think the issues are near and dear to many Davisites' hearts, but also because I think it serves as an excellent example of community-staff-commission-Council coordination that I would like to see more of (and I say this as someone who has criticized City processes in the past, e.g., here).

    The process toward a new strategic plan for the Open Space program began approximately halfway into the 30 year lifespan of Measure O, a tax that the voters of Davis agreed to impose upon themselves in order to provide for, among other things, "Acquisition in fee or easement of open space lands within the Davis planning area…the improvement, operation, maintenance and/or monitoring of open space lands currently owned by the City in fee easement [or] acquired by the City in the future, including but not limited to the restoration, enhancement and preservation of habitat areas, maintenance of open space lands, and monitoring of habitat and agricultural conservation easements."

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  • Five Council Candidates State Positions on Measure J/R

     

    West from Rd 30B - Sac skyline

    View from Mace curve – one of the areas subject to Measure J/R

    Last night (2/28/2018), the Davis College Democrats held a forum for candidates for Davis City Council. Well, not all candidates — you had to be a declared Democrat to participate, even though the City Council is supposed to be non-partisan. Forum participants also had to answer a series of loaded questions. Here's one:

    Our city is running out of room to accommodate future growth, with a severe housing and financial crisis. Measure R has placed a stranglehold on any annexation efforts to deal with this problem by requiring a ballot measure for any significant development. In 2020 Measure R will go on the ballot for reauthorization. If elected how will you augment Measure R to stave off another city housing or financial crisis?

    Davisites might be surprised to learn how the five candidates (out of nine running) in attendance answered.

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  • Measure J, Measure R… and now Measure J again? A guide for the perplexed

    West from Rd 30B - Sac skyline

    View from Mace curve – one of the areas subject to Measure J/R

    I think most Davisites know that measure letters get reused, so that a Measure A of today might be different from a Measure A of yesterday. But in this June's election, things get very confusing – the successful Measure J of 2000 is what permits Davisites to vote "no" (or "yes) on the Measure J of today. Hunh?

    Here's an attempt to clarify the situation.

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  • On the Cannery, Housing, and Davis’s Small-Town Feel

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    Source: Davis LocalWiki

    At its February 20 meeting, the City Council was supposed to review a proposal to bring a large, corporate gym to the Cannery, a change to the original proposal that the developer is asking for. The Council decided at the request of the developer to delay the item until March 13, but a number of people gave public comment anyway.

    I found many of these comments to be heartfelt, insightful, and persuasive, but one resonated with me in particular because it was so similar to my own experience, and also because I think it has very far-reaching implications:

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